Hungary hopes to be free of foot-and-mouth disease by end of May

Foot-and-mouth disease: Hungary expects disease to end by May 30

Minister for Agriculture István Nagy has talked about the disease containment measures undertaken by the authorities in the past weeks at a meeting of the Agriculture Committee of the National Assembly. The agriculture minister told the members of parliament that should another outbreak be avoided, the country will declare freedom from the disease on May 30, and that EU restrictions can be lifted by June 30.

Earlier, at the end of April, the Ministry of National Economy announced a five-point crisis package to aid livestock farmers. It includes the following measures:

• Automatic loan moratorium on farms where animals had to be culled due to the epidemic – this suspends farmers' obligations to pay principal and interest.
• Wage guarantee support for employees of closed-down farms – repayable support of up to €7,363.93 per employee can be requested.
• Establishment of a compensation fund to cover indemnities related to the culling of infected livestock.
• 0% interest loan for farmers affected by the epidemic, for restarting and liquidity purposes. (Through the Széchenyi Card instrument- See more about it here)
• Hungarian Development Bank (MFB) loan program with favorable terms, covering all branches of livestock farming – including poultry farming – after commercial banks exited the sector.

Horticulture crisis: Spring frosts an act of god

At the end of April, the Ministry of Agriculture announced a new directive on frost damages that occurred earlier in the month.

Agriculture Minister István Nagy has recognized the spring frost damage that occurred in early April as a force majeure (vis major) event over the entire territory of the country. Farmers affected by the punishing weather may submit damage claims to the Hungarian State Treasury within 21 days from the date of the damage.

By declaring the force majeure situation, the agriculture minister exempts farmers from the obligation to provide proof of the damage.

Hungarian press sources reported in April that, despite precautions such as paraffin candles, frost protection stoves, and the most advanced nutrient cocktails, weather damages have hit producers hard this year too. The apricot harvest was severely damaged in most areas and other stone fruits such as peaches, almonds, and plums also suffered significant losses.

Parliament bans energy drinks to minors

The sale of energy drinks to persons under 18 years of age has been banned on April 29. The act was proposed by Christian Democrat (Fidesz coalition partner) MPs in 2024.

According to the bill, the government will define by decree which compositions of energy drinks the ban applies to, Telex.hu reports. If a business violates the regulation, the consumer protection authority may “prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages, energy drinks, tobacco products, or sexual products for up to one year from the date the violation is established. Furthermore, if the law is violated again within three years, the authority may order the closure of the store for up to thirty days."

Wheat and corn trends

The Research Institute for Agriculture Economics (AKI) has published its latest report on cereal production trends and prices in Hungary.

945 thousand hectares of winter wheat are being harvested this year. As of early April, 62% of the crops were in good condition, 30% in average condition, and 8% in poor condition. According to data from AKI’s PÁIR price tracking system, during the last week of April, the average producer price for milling wheat, excluding VAT and transport costs, was €218/ton. This price level was 36% higher than last year.

Corn covers around 831 thousand hectares this year, 75% of which had already been sown by April 29. According to AKI PÁIR data, during the fourth week of April, feed maize was traded at an average producer price of €193/ton, which was 26% higher than in 2024.

Cage-free poultry farming more popular, but not yet enough

Two NGOs, Farmállatvédelem and Una Terra Foundation have published a new report on the state of cage-free poultry farming in Hungary.

“It is a very important and forward-looking step that supermarket chains have shared this data with us, as transparency helps strengthen consumer trust. This is also crucial for producers, as they can plan and expand their cage-free production capacities in time based on the timelines communicated by the companies.

We will continue working with the companies involved so that, following Western European examples, where in some countries the share of caged systems has already fallen below 10%, further positive changes can also take place here,” said Tamás Drexler, farm animal welfare expert, in a statement to TradeMagazin.

Although cage-based farming—which leads to lower animal welfare—is still widespread in Hungary, more and more companies are striving for change, the report states. In recent years, sustainability and animal welfare have also become increasingly important to consumers: according to the 2023 Eurobarometer data, 79% of Hungarians believe that the welfare of farm animals should be better protected than it is now. The results in terms of the fulfillment of cage-free farming commitments are mixed. The individual performance of companies can be found in the report.

Crops benefit from May rains

The rainy weather in early May is a welcome development for agriculture, reports Agrárágazat.hu. Earlier in the spring, signs of critical drought had already appeared across Europe, which was especially concerning in the Mediterranean, and Hungary’s region, Central Europe. The drought is also affecting neighboring Ukraine. However, at the beginning of spring, Hungary and Austria were in a better position regarding soil moisture than their neighbors.

By the end of April, the top half-meter layer of soil had dried out across Hungary, with the Great Hungarian Plain and the Little Hungarian Plain being the most affected. The early May rains were beneficial, but they reached Hungary’s regions unevenly. By last Monday morning, 5–15 mm of rainfall had fallen in Transdanubia and the northeastern part of the country.

Rapeseed is in bloom, and wheat has started to shoot. Because of their deep roots, these crops are still in good condition in terms of moisture, the portal adds. The same cannot be said for corn and sunflower. Germination has significantly slowed in the Great Hungarian Plain and Little Hungarian Plain among these crops.

The 5–20 mm of rainfall expected  in the first part of May could provide crucial support, especially in southern regions. However, moisture on the leaves increases the risk of fungal diseases. Temperatures are ranging between 15–20°C, but nighttime lows are dropping below 10°C, with ground frost still possible, the report says.